Match draw indicator



March 2, 1948. A. R. LOVELOCK MATCH DRAW INDICATOR Filed Feb. 21, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet l A. R. LOVELOCK MATCH DRAW INDICATOR March 2, 1948.

Filed Feb. 21, 19- 16 F/GZ.

5 Sheets-$heet 2 Ill/l AFZZ w- H. Lox 620M A ro March 2, 1948. ovE ocK MATCH DRAW INDICATOR Filed Feb. 21, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Mar. 2, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MATCH DRAW INDICATOR.

Arthur B. Lovelock, Boat of Garten, Scotland Application February 21, 1946, Serial No. 649,265 In Great Britain March 7, 1945 12 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an indicator or appliance for "computing and indicatingv match competitions for games and has for its object to readily indicate the order of play according to the number of entries in the competition, up to a limit of say 128 entries, although by suitably enlarging the appliance it could be used for larger numbers of entries.

It is known that the number of matches that can be played in a competition game depends upon the number of entries and that the number of entries may be such that a number of byes is necessary to enable the competition to be played out. In golf matches, lawn tennis matches and the like, the number of competition entries may vary from time to time. My invention provides an appliance which facilitates the determination of the number of matches and byes necessary for any number of competition entries.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying explanatory drawings whereon Fig. 1 is a plan view of the preferred form of my improved indicator or appliance. Fig. 2 is a plan view with the cover removed and parts broken away to show underly g P Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view through the appliance. Fig. 4 is a plan View of fragments of the indicating web and a fragment of the superposed transparent panel.

The improved indicator or appliance for computing and indicating match competitions, comprises a web a which is conveniently made of linen or paper, but which may be made of any other suitable material wound at each end upon rollers or spools b rotatably mounted in a box or casing c. Handles or knobs d enable the Web to be wound on and off the spools. The exposed portion of the web a between the spools passes under a transparent panel or sheet e, which may be made of talc, celluloid or other transparent material. The surface of the panel 6 is preferably such that it can be written upon and the writing subsequently obliterated after it has served its purpose. The panel e is graduated or marked out to provide a series of adjacent longitudinal columns 7, f F, f and f These columns are of equal length. The example of my invention illustrated in the drawings is designed to enable the order of play in a competition game to be computed up to a total of 128 entries for the competition. The column =f is therefore graduated or divided transversely into 128 divisions or spaces g The column I has 64 divisions or spaces 9 the column I has 32 divisions or spaces 9 the column has 16 divisions or spaces g and the column I has 8 divisions or spaces g For a larger number of competition entries, the panel 8 would require additional columns graduated to provide up to any desired multiple of 128 divisions in the column having the largest number of divisions or spaces g I Marked upon the web a in stepwise formation is a series of rows of indicator marks a a a a and a the number of indicator marks in row a being twice the number of marks in row a and so on throughout the series of rows. As will be seen in Fig. 4, each row of marks a), a etc.,

, commences where the other ends and is laterally displaced therefrom on the web. Moreover, there are 128 marks in row a to register with and be visible beneath the divisions or spaces 9 on panel e. Similarly there are 64 marks in row (1 32 marks in row a 16 marks in row a and 8 marks in row a which can be brought to register with and to be visible beneath the divisions or spaces g 9 g and g respectively,

A cover h is provided for the box or casing,

this cover having a window aperture over the panel e and through which the graduated columns f f are visible.

The names of the players entering the competition may be written in the spaces 1 -9 on the surface of the panel 8.

The web a is also provided with three columns of numbers arranged longitudinally on the web. The column of numbers 1 (Fig. 4) represents the number of entries to the competition. The numbers m represent the number of matches that can be played for the numbers of entries appearing adjacent the number m. The numbers n denote the numbers of byes necessary to enable the competition to be played out for that number of entries appearing in the adjacent column Z. The rows of numbers I, m and n are movable behind and successively visible through apertures {1 m and 71 respectively in the cover h.

The arrangement is such that, when the web a is moved to bring one of the numbers Z into view in the window Z the figures appearing in the windows m and 71 respectively represent the number of matches and byes that must be played for the number of entries appearing in the window I.

In Fig. l the number 58 appears as the number of entries, the number 26 as the number of matches that can be played, and the number 5 denotes the number of byes necessary to enable a match competition of 58 entries to be played out. At the same time the web has been so moved as to bring into view 58 indicator marks beneath the panel e. 52 of these marks a appear beneath 52 of the spaces g The remaining six marks are in row a and appear beneath the six spaces 9 to the left of the marks a.

For any position of the web a, the number of indicator marks visible in the lower column or row in Fig. 1 will be twice the number of matches that can be played as denoted by the number appearing in window m and the number of indicator marks visible to the left of and above the lower row of indicator marks visible beneath the panel e will correspond to the number of byes appearing in window 11 When the web has been set to the number of entries as above described, the names of the players can be written on the panel 6 in the spaces above or alongside the indicator marks visible beneath the panel,

As illustrated in Fig. 3, the web a may pass over a rigid support having a surface covering p which may be white.

It will be understood that, for a lesser number of competition entries, not exceeding 64, the graduated column ,1 and the row of indicator marks a may be omitted, and the appliance can be designed for any desired maximum number of competition entries.

I claim:

1. An appliance for computing and indicating match competitions for games comprising (a web having stepwise rows of indicator marks thereon, the number of marks in each row being half the number of marks in the next row, means for winding and unwinding the web, a transparent sheet covering an exposed portion of the web, said sheet being marked out to define columns,

. each of said columns being graduated in divisions, the number oi divisions in each row being half the number of divisions in the next row, said Web being positioned relatively to said sheet to permit each row of indicator marks to be brought beneath a column on the sheet which has the same number of graduations as the number of indicator marks on the row of marks registrable therewith, a casing enclosing the web and its winding and unwindin means, and a cover for said casing, said cover having a window aperture over the transparent sheet.

2. A match competition indicator comprisin a transparent sheet graduated in .longitudinal parallel .columns of equal length, each of which is graduated transversely into equal divisions, whereof the number in any one row is half the number or twice the number of the divisions in the adjacent row, an indicator web movable 1ongitu-dinally beneath said sheet, said web having stepwise rows of indicator marks thereon successively regist-rable beneath the columns graduatedon the sheet, each row of marks being registrable with one of said columns and having the same number of marks as there are divisions in the columnwith which it is registrable, means for displacing the web longitudinally beneath the sheet, and an apertured cover for the sheet, said cover having an aperture through which the graduated columns on the sheet are visible.

3. An appliance for computing and indicating match competitions for games comprising a web having stepwise rows of indicator marks thereon, the number of marks in each row being 'half the number of marks in the next row, means for winding and unwinding the web, a transparent sheet covering an exposed portion of the web, said sheet being marked out to define columns,

each of said columns being graduated in divisions, the number of divisions in each row being half the number of divisions in the next row, said web being positioned relatively to said sheet to permit each row of indicator marks to be brought beneath a column on the sheet which has the same number of graduations as the number of indicator marks on the row of marks registrable therewith, three columns of numbers arranged longitudinally on the web to denote the number of entries, and the number of matches and byes respectively which can be played for each number of entries, a casing enclosing the web and its winding and unwinding means, and a cover for said casing, said cover having a window aperture over the transparent sheet, and having three window apertures, each arranged to disclose to view one number of each or the three rows of figures on the web.

4. A match competition indicator comprising a transparent sheet graduated in longitudinal parallel columns of equal length, each of which is graduated transversely into equal divisions, whereof the number in any one row is half the number or twice the number of the divisions in the adjacent row, an indicator web movable longitudinally beneath said sheet, said web having stepwise rows of indicator marks thereon successively registrable beneath the columns graduated on the sheet, each row of marks being registrable with one of said columns and having the same number of marks as there are divisions in the column with which it is registrable, three columns ofnumbers marked on the web, the numbers .in one column representing entries for the competition and being related on the web to a corresponding indicator mark thereon, and the numbers in the other rows representing the number of matches and the number of byes respectively for each number representing competition entries, means for displacing the web longitudinally beneath the sheet, and an apertured cover for the sheet, said cover having an aperture through which the graduated columns on the sheet are visible, and having three apertures arranged to disclose to view one of the entry numbers and the associated numbers representing matches and byes.

5. A match competition indicator including a transparent panel graduated longitudinally into adjacent colums and graduated transversely into divisions whereof each division of one column is equal to two divisions of the next column, and a web movable beneath said panel and marked with stepwise rows of indicator marks 50 that for any position of the web, the number of indicator marks visible beneath the panel in =one column will be twice the number of matches that can be played for a competition entry in which the number of entries is equal to the total number of indicator marks visible beneath the panel, the number of indicator marks (if any) visible in a second column representing the number of byes necessary to enable the competition to be played out.

6. An indicator according to claim 5 in which the panel has a writing surface enabling the names of competitors to be inscribed in the spaces defined by the divisions marked out on the panel.

7. An appliance as claimed in claim 1 including a Winding spool for each end of the web, means for rotatably supporting the spools in the casing, and means for rotating the spools to transverse the web.

8. An appliance according to claim '1 including a rigid support for the exposed portion of the web, the transparent sheet having a surface such that it can be written upon and the written matter subsequently obliterated.

9. A computing device comprising a web having lengthwise columns of spaced indicator marks thereon, the column being arranged in stepwise'relationship, and the number of marks in each column being half the number of marks in the next preceding column, a transparent cover covering a part of said Web, said cover having longitudinal lines delineating rows longitudinally of said cover and beneath which the columns of indicator marks on the said web may be registered, and said cover having transverse lines dividing said rows into equal spaces of which the number in each row is half the number in the next preceding row, the width of spaces in each row corresponding to the distance between the marks of the column of indicator marks registrable therewith, and means for transversing said web beneath said cover to position the marks on said web in any column beneath the spaces in the corresponding row delineated on the cover.

10. A computing device as specified in claim 9 in which the columns of indicator marks are equal in length to the lengths of the rows delineated on the cover and the number of marks in each column is equal to the number of spaces into which the corresponding row is divided.

11. A computing device as specified in claim 9 having a column of figures arranged in numerical sequence on the web alongside said spaced indicator marks, a second column of figures alongside said figures of numerical sequence, said second column of figures indicating the number of matches that can be played in a match game competition for the number of entries corresponding to the adjacent figure in the column of figures of numerical sequence, a third column of figures indicating the number of byes necessary for the number of entries corresponding to the figures in the column of figures of numerical sequence, and an opaque cover for said columns of figures, said opaque cover having three spaced apertures therein, arranged to disclose to view one of the figures of numerical sequence and the associated figures of the second and third columns of figures, said apertures being so spaced in relation to the rows and spaces delineated on said transparent cover that the numerical figure disclosed to view corresponds to the number of marks visible through the transparent cover.

12. A computing device as specified in claim 9 in which the transparent cover has a writing surface adjacent the row having the largest number of equal spaces delineated on said cover, said writing surface being divided by transverse lines into writing spaces alongside and equal in number to twice the number of spaces in the adjacent row.

ARTHUR R. LOVELOCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 160,287 Shepherd Mar. 2, 1875 529,913 Howell Nov. 27, 1894 1,559,665 Beery et al Nov. 3, 1925 

